Councillor offers ‘free fish and chips’ for Brexit Party win

A town councillor has offered free fish and chips if the Brexit Party win seats. Picture: Getty Images - Credit: Getty Images

A chip shop owner and town councillor has prompted complaints after he posted that he would give away fish and chips if the Brexit Party wins seats off Labour in the election.

David Wood, who sits on Penistone Town Council and runs Woody’s Fish and Chips in Barnsley, made the promise on Facebook, according to the BBC.

He said he would give free fish and chips “in celebration” of removing Labour incumbents Dan Jarvis and Stephanie Peacock – as an incentive to “help Woody’s remove our two current Labour MPs”.

Wood, who has no political affiliation in his role as a councillor, has now taken the post down, but said he will put it back up the day after the election.

‘Treating’ – when a candidate or their agent offers material incentives for a particular vote – is illegal under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

South Yorkshire Police told the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service that they had received two complaints from the public about the offer.

The Woody’s Facebook page said: “Election Promise! Help Woody’s to remove our two current Labour MPs from their seats in Westminster in favour of Jim Feguson for Barnsley East and Victoria Felton for Barnsley Central.

“Our promise to the electorate of Barnsley is to offer free Cod Bits & Chips to everyone that visits our shop on December the 13th in celebration of turfing Labour MP’s out of Barnsley. You can count on us to deliver. Promise.”

A spokesperson for Penistone Town Council told The New European that as a councillor, Wood has no political affiliation, and that the town council is “completely apolitical”.

They added that they have no comment on the matter as the takeaway is in Barnsley, not Penistone.

Wood told the BBC: “I can take the post down but I will be putting it back up the day after, when we win. No-one has contacted me from the police.

“I am not associated with the Brexit Party, apart from helping the candidates. That is my treat to my customers after the Brexit Party win. If they don’t win, they won’t get it,” he said.